title: [N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) as a tumor marker in head and neck cancers].
abstract: N-acetyl-neuraminic-acid (sialic acid) is a natural component of the cell surface. Cancer cells show a higher concentration of sialic acid in the cell membrane, and the serum also shows an elevated level of sialic acid. The concentration of sialic acid was measured in the serum of 76 new tumour patients and 113 previously treated patients who were clinically free of recurrence. The primary tumour was classified as T1-T4 according to the UICC classification. A further group consisted of patients with recurrent tumours. The values were compared with the sialic acid concentration in the sera of 63 healthy probands. Patients with manifest tumours showed an increased level of sialic acid that correlated with the extent of the tumour. The sialic acid level in 71% of patients with a recurrence lay above the upper limit of normal (82 mg/dl) recorded in the sera of healthy probands. The measurement of the serum sialic acid is a useful parameter for early detection of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-HNO-Klinik Innsbruck.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Egg
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012794:Sialic Acids; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid
vernacular_title: N-Azetylneuraminsäure (Sialinsäure) als Tumormarker bei Kopf-Hals-Karzinomen.